Tea & Sympathy

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the stage play, see Tea and Sympathy.
Tea & Sympathy
Tea & Sympathy cover
Studio album by Bernard Fanning
Released 31 October 2005
Recorded Real World Studios, Bath, England
May 2005-June 2005
Leafy Bug Studios, Brisbane, Australia
July 2005
Genre Alternative rock, country-folk
Length 46:41
Label Dew Process (AUS)
Lost Highway (US)
Producer Tchad Blake, Bernard Fanning
Professional reviews
Singles from Diorama
  1. "Wish You Well"
    Released: 2005
  2. "Songbird"
    Released: 2005
  3. "Watch Over Me"
    Released: 26 June 2006

Tea & Sympathy is the debut studio album by Australian rock musician Bernard Fanning. It was released on 31 October 2005 via the record label Dew Process, during the hiatus of Fanning's main band, Powderfinger.

Working independently for the first time, Fanning moved away from Powderfinger's alternative rock sound towards a mixture of that and country-folk. Tea & Sympathy's lyrics are much more solemn; much of the album was written following the end of a twelve year relationship of Fanning's. Also drawing inspiration from social and political issues, Fanning initially recorded four songs at his home studio in Brisbane. The rest were produced at Real World Studios in the Bath countryside of England with American record producer Tchad Blake. Following the album's release, Fanning toured twice across Australia, and performed numerous shows across North American and the UK.

Tea & Sympathy received an average reception from critics, with an average review score of three out of five. Fanning's vocals and lyrics were generally praised, but the album was criticised for sometimes being dull or non-groundbreaking. Despite these assertions, the album topped the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) albums chart, won three awards at the 2006 ARIA Awards, also winning an APRA Award and a J Award.

Contents

[edit] Background and production

Following the release of 2004's Fingerprints: The Best of Powderfinger, 1994-2000, Powderfinger entered a hiatus. Several band members played with side projects Drag and The Predators, but Fanning chose to work independently, moving in a musical direction he had been unable to pursue while in the band. Part of the inspiration for working independently came from Fanning wanting to see if he could create an album without a band.[1] Moving away from the band and writing Tea & Sympathy helped Fanning unwind—he told The Age the album's solemn lyrics offered him sympathy.[2]

Fanning initially intended to create a politically orientated album, hoping to attack then-Prime Minister John Howard, following Howard's 2004 victory over Mark Latham. However, the recent death of his brother to cancer, and the ending of a twelve year relationship with his girlfried, thrust Fanning into the tabloid spotlight. The resulting change in musical direction saw Tea & Sympathy described as a "breakup album" by the Oakland Tribune.[3] Fanning explained that after going through "a pretty weird time in the past twelve months", he did not intend to talk about his experiences, instead expressing them through music.[4] The motivation for some songs came from the 2005 "metal-fest" Big Day Out; Fanning was disappointed by the anti-social element of the event, and set out to "make music that was the opposite of that".[4]

Fanning worked with producer Tchad Blake. The pair were supported by record label Dew Process. Much of the album was recorded at Real World Studios in the Bath countryside.[5] Recording of the album began in February 2005, when Fanning and several other musicians recorded numerous tracks at his Brisbane home studio. Four of these—"Not Finished Just Yet", "Believe", "Wash Me Clean", and "Hope & Validation"—would appear on the album, after being mixed by Blake.[1][5] While writing, Fanning listened to Lightning Hopkins, Tom Petty, Gillian Welch, who all influenced his work. "I'd love to play guitar like that, but I simply don't have the skill to do it" said Fanning of Hopkins' work, noting he had always wanted to make a country blues record.[4] Despite this, Fanning announced after completing the album that he was looking forward to getting back to his Powderfinger "day job".[6]

The album's title came from a saying, described by Fanning as: "The connotation of the saying is you offer someone tea and sympathy, you sit down with them, have a cup of tea and you just talk." He also noted that a person was credited for "tea and sympathy" on a Rolling Stones record.[2]

[edit] Touring and promotion

Fanning toured across much of Australia to support Tea & Sympathy, including two major concert tours.[7] Prior to releasing the album, Fanning held a number of intimate launch shows. These shows had drawn praise from critics—Time Off's Ben Preece reported that "The chemistry between the Powderfinger frontman and his band (nicknamed The Gap Jazz School Choir) is excellent and their constant in-between song banter is hilarious. Then, of course, there’s the music." He commended the multiple genre changes during the 90-minute performance, as well as Fanning's vocal showcase.[8]

The Which Way Home? tour, named after the album's sixth track, was announced on 2 December 2005. It went through February and March 2006, with Fanning performing in Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide, Melbourne, Hobart, Perth, and Brisbane. Fanning was joined on the Which Way Home? tour by Perth band The Panics and Brisbane singer Andrew Morris.[7]

The Yesterday's Gone tour was announced on 11 August 2006. A more low-key event than its predecessor, it saw Fanning and The Gap Jazz School Choir play at the Brisbane Convention Centre, Hordern Pavilion in Sydney, and the Melbourne Festival Hall. On 11 August, Fanning also announced that tours across the United States and Canada would follow the album's 8 August North America release. An 11 September UK release was also announced, with Dew Process revealing that numerous London shows had already sold out.[9]

Fanning's performances in London attracted much expatriate support, with Fanning joking that "I think I have about 14 English fans". The performances were received positively; musicOMH's Barnaby Smith rated his 4 September showing at London's Arts Theatre four stars, commenting on Powderfinger-esque "loud, anthemic, guitar-driven rock in a '70s vein", and praising Fanning's utilisation of the piano and guitar as part of his performance. As part of his show, Fanning dedicated the song "Give It All Up" to the recently deceased Steve Irwin.[10]

[edit] Album and single releases

 Music sample from Tea & Sympathy

"Wish You Well"

The optimistic chorus of "Wish You Well" was written by Fanning during an "unusually positive frame of mind".[11]
Problems listening to the file? See media help.

Tea & Sympathy was released on record label Dew Process in Australia on 31 October 2005, and in the United Kingdom on 18 September 2006.[12] The album peaked at number 1 on Australia's ARIA Albums Chart and number 11 on New Zealand's RIANZ Albums Chart.[13] The Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA) certified Tea & Sympathy platinum five times over, for sales in excess of 350,000 units.[14]

"Wish You Well" was the first single released. It did not chart in Australia, but peaked at number 24 in New Zealand, after entering the chart on 30 January 2006.[15] Fanning explained that the inspiration for the song "materialised" when he awoke one morning; "I woke up and Wish You Well just arrived in a splurge. There were swallows flying around. I was in an unusually positive frame of mind."[11] In a positive review of the song, musicOMH's Barnaby Smith described "Wish You Well" as reminiscent of Daryl Braithwaite—a "basic song with [a] catchy chorus you might sing round a campfire".[16]

The second single, "Songbird", was only released online. Like "Wish You Well", it became highly popular with fans, and helped Fanning win Songwriter of the Year at the 2006 APRA Awards.[17] "Songbird" won Most Performed Blues and Roots Work at the 2007 ceremony, and was nominated for Most Performed Australian Work.[18][19] "Songbird" did not appear on the ARIA Singles Chart, but did peak at number 11 on the Australian national airplay charts.[20]

The final single "Watch Over Me", was physically released on 24 June 2006.[21] All proceeds from the single were passed on to Australian charity Youngcare. Fanning also toured with Kasey Chambers, again giving proceeds to the charity.[21] Fanning said that "the aim of this show and the single release is to raise money for Youngcare but also to raise awareness of the terrible situation that these young people face", refer to children in forced to live in aged facilities.[22] "Watch Over Me" spent eight weeks on the ARIA Singles Chart, peaking at number 16.[23] The song was performed by Fanning, Chambers, and Clare Bowditch at the 2006 ARIA Awards.[24]

[edit] Reception

Tea & Sympathy won the awards for Best Cover Art and Album Of The Year at the 2006 ARIA Music Awards. It was also nominated for Best Blues & Roots Album and Highest Selling Album. "Wish You Well" won Best Video, and "Watch Over Me" was nominated for Single Of The Year.[25] The song topped the Triple J Hottest 100, 2005,[11] and was the most broadcast song on Australian radio in 2006.[26] Fanning won Best Male Artist for his work on the album, and as part of his acceptance speech challenged fellow Australian musicians to write protest songs—something they had been criticised for a lack of by ARIA Hall of Fame inductee Rob Hirst.[27] Tea & Sympathy was nominated for the inaugural J Award in 2005,[20] and Fanning won Songwriter of the Year at the 2006 APRA Awards.[28] MTV Australia named Tea & Sympathy Album of the Year at its 2006 Video Music Awards.[29]

Craig Mathieson of The Age gave Tea & Sympathy three stars out of five. He drew links between Powderfinger and Cold Chisel—"rock band ingrained in the national psyche"—but argued that Fanning failed to make the same impression that Cold Chisel frontman Jimmy Barnes had with his debut solo album, Bodyswerve. Instead, Mathieson described Tea & Sympathy as reminiscent "mid-'70s singer-songwriters such as Paul Simon and Cat Stevens". The lack of electric guitar was noted, and the album was described as a "low-key but worthy personal offering".[30]

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation's (ABC) Tim Cox described Tea & Sympathy as "a cracking good album" and a work of art. Cox reported that Fanning resembled folk rock/rock supergroup Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, "though without the hippy, drippy lyrics". Instead, Cox praised the album's "sweet harmonies and acoustic rambles", and the subject matter; the death of Fanning's brother and the ending of his 12-year relationship. To celebrate the release of the album, the ABC played it consistently for a week on their breakfast radio shows in Tasmania.[31]

Andy Whitmam of All Music Guide rated the album three and a half stars. He described the album as being well suited for early-70s country-folk music, as opposed to Powderfinger's usual work. According to Whitman, Stephen Stills and Elton John influences were frequent, and Fanning was described as a "fine, soulful singer" whose "vocal presence alone merits attention". The pop hooks on the album were praised, but the use of "generic" song titles was criticised—Whitman cited "Thrill Is Gone," "Songbird," "Further Down the Road," and "Yesterday's Gone" as examples. The review was summarised by calling Tea & Sympathy "a pleasant, well-crafted, and somewhat slight effort".[32]

The BBC's Jenna Bachelor gave Tea & Sympathy three out of five, describing a "harmony porch style sound" reminiscent of Neil Young. She said the album was pleasant but not groundbreaking, and did not predict it chart well—the review concluded with the statement that "Tea and Sympathy went straight in at number one down under. [Fanning] might have to be happy with 'straight in at 101,' in the UK".[33]

Barnaby Smith of website musicOMH rated Tea & Sympathy three stars out of five. Smith's favourite track was "Down To The River"—he said it was the best song Fanning had ever written; "a song of quiet, reflective solitude one moment and searing, heart-rending pleading the next: both singer-songwriterly austere and symphonically grandiose". He argued, however, that moments such as that song were rare; "Wash Me Clean" lacked a strong melody and "Which Way Home?" sounded too much like Powderfinger, "jarring the album with its comparative volume and use of the word 'fuck'". Smith concluded that Tea & Sympathy was "a welcome and enjoyable addition to Bernard Fanning's legacy as one of Australia's rock legends", but argued that his Powderfinger career would be more successful.[12]

[edit] Track listing

All songs written by Bernard Fanning.

  1. "Thrill Is Gone" – 3:11
  2. "Wish You Well" – 2:31
  3. "Not Finished Just Yet" – 3:17
  4. "Songbird" – 2:36
  5. "Believe" – 3:07
  6. "Which Way Home?" – 3:21
  7. "Wash Me Clean" – 2:37
  8. "Hope & Validation" – 3:09
  9. "Sleeping Rough" – 4:34
  10. "The Strangest Thing" – 3:14
  11. "Further Down The Road" – 4:41
  12. "Down To The River" – 4:13
  13. "Yesterday's Gone" – 2:34
  14. "Watch Over Me" – 3:31
  15. "Weekend of Mystery" (iTunes bonus release) – 3:36

[edit] Personnel

[edit] UK production

Tracks 1, 2, 4, 6 and 9 - 14.

  • Bernard Fanning - Guitars and vocals
  • Jerry Marotta - Drums and percussion
  • Keith Duffy - Bass guitar
  • John Bedggood - Guitars, keyboards and backing vocals
  • Tchad Blake - Lap steel guitar
  • Ben Quinn - Backing vocals
  • Stu Miller - Backing vocals

[edit] Australian production

Tracks 3, 5, 7 and 8.

  • Bernard Fanning - Guitars and vocals
  • Duane Billing - Drums and percussion
  • Matt Engelbrecht - Bass guitar and lead guitar
  • Chris Bosley - Bass guitar

[edit] Production

  • Bernard Fanning - Producer
  • Tchad Blake - Producer, Engineer and mixer
    (Real World Studios, Box, UK)
  • Claire Lewis - Assistant engineer
    (Real World Studios, Box, UK)
  • Mark McElligott - Engineer and mixer
    (Leafy Bug Studios, Brisbane, Australia)

[edit] Awards and nominations

[edit] ARIA Awards

Year Award Album/Single Result
2006 Album of the Year Tea & Sympathy Won
Best Male Artist Tea & Sympathy Won
Best Cover Art Tea & Sympathy Won
Best Video "Wish You Well" Won
Best Blues and Roots Album Tea & Sympathy Nominated
Highest Selling Australian Album Tea & Sympathy Nominated
Single of the Year "Watch Over Me" Nominated

[edit] Triple J Hottest 100

Year Ranking Single
2005
1
 "Wish You Well"
14
 "Songbird"

Tea & Sympathy was also nominated for the inaugural Triple J, J Award in 2005.

Preceded by
Intensive Care by Robbie Williams		 Australian ARIA Albums Chart number-one album
November 7, 2005		 Succeeded by
Ancora by Il Divo

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b Iain Shedden (29 October 2005). Love and other bruises. The Australian. news.com.au. Retrieved on 2008-05-23.
  2. ^ a b Andrew Murfett (22 October 2005). White with one. The Age. Retrieved on 2008-05-23.
  3. ^ Powderfinger's Bernard Fanning enjoying going solo. Oakland Tribune (11 August 2006). Retrieved on 2008-05-24.
  4. ^ a b c Christine Sams (30 October 2005). Sadness, love and the gospel truth. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved on 2008-05-24.
  5. ^ a b Bernard Fanning. Tea And Sympathy. Australian Music Online. Retrieved on 2008-05-23.
  6. ^ Alex Murdoch (30 October 2006). Bernie leads the charge. The Courier Mail. news.com.au. Retrieved on 2008-06-07.
  7. ^ a b Bernard Fanning announces Which Way Home? Tour. Dew Process (2 December 2005). Retrieved on 2008-06-06.
  8. ^ Ben Preece. "Bernard Fanning Live review", Time Off. 
  9. ^ Bernard Fanning Announces Yesterday's Gone Tour. Dew Process (11 August 2006). Retrieved on 2008-06-06.
  10. ^ Barnaby Smith (4 September 2006). Bernard Fanning. musicOMH. Retrieved on 2008-06-06.
  11. ^ a b c Barry Divola (12 October 2006). Solo success doesn't make Bernard Fanning a loner.. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved on 2008-05-31.
  12. ^ a b Barnaby Smith. Bernard Fanning - Tea and Sympathy. musicOMH. Retrieved on 2008-05-22.
  13. ^ Bernard Fanning - Tea & Sympathy. australian-charts.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-24.
  14. ^ ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2006 Albums. Australian Record Industry Association. Retrieved on 2008-05-29.
  15. ^ Bernard Fanning - Wish You Well. charts.org.nz. Retrieved on 2008-05-31.
  16. ^ Barnaby Smith. Bernard Fanning - Wish You Well (Lost Highway). musicOMH.com. Retrieved on 2008-06-06.
  17. ^ Kathy McCabe (6 June 2006). Songwriter Fanning is year's best. The Daily Telegraph. news.com.au. Retrieved on 2008-06-01.
  18. ^ APRA winners announced. The Australian. news.com.au (5 June 2007). Retrieved on 2008-06-01.
  19. ^ Michael Gadd (9 May 2007). APRA music nominations announced. news.com.au. Retrieved on 2008-06-01.
  20. ^ a b Bernard Fanning news. BernardFanning.com (18 November 2005). Archived from the original on 2008-05-25. Retrieved on 2008-06-01.
  21. ^ a b Bernard Fanning Youngcare concert sold out!. Rave Magazine. Retrieved on 2008-06-02.
  22. ^ Bernard Fanning's new single and Brissy concert. Max (5 May 2006). Retrieved on 2008-06-02.
  23. ^ Bernard Fanning - Watch Over Me. australian-charts.com. Retrieved on 2008-06-02.
  24. ^ Justine Parker (30 October 2006). Rock rules the Arias. news.com.au. Retrieved on 2008-06-02.
  25. ^ Artist: Bernard Fanning. ARIA Music Awards. Retrieved on 2008-05-25.
  26. ^ And the most played song is .... The Sydney Morning Herald (8 January 2007). Retrieved on 2008-05-31.
  27. ^ Patrick Donovan (30 October 2006). Trio gets top gong, Fanning gets Sympathy vote. The Age. Retrieved on 2008-06-05.
  28. ^ 2006 Winners. APRA Awards. Retrieved on 2008-05-25.
  29. ^ Fanning takes out MTV's top award. abc.net.au (13 April 2006). Retrieved on 2008-06-05.
  30. ^ Craig Mathieson (4 November 2005). Tea & Sympathy. The Age. Retrieved on 2008-05-23.
  31. ^ Tim Cox (3 November 2005). Disc of the week: Tea & Sympathy. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved on 2008-05-22.
  32. ^ Andy Whitmam. Tea & Sympathy > Overview. All Music Guide. Retrieved on 2008-05-19.
  33. ^ Jenna Bachelor (September 2006). Bernard Fanning - Tea and Sympathy. BBC. Retrieved on 2008-05-20.